Iberian Campaign
|date=October 22nd - November 20th, 2552 |place=Iberian Peninsula |result=*Human strategic victory **Majority of West European ODGs intact **Gibraltar Spaceport retaken **Covenant staging grounds for widespread invasion of Europe and North Africa eliminated *Covenant tactical victory **One ODG destroyed, disabling three OWPs protecting the West Mediterranean |side1= |side2= |side3= |side4= |commanders1= |commanders2= * Atticus * Enarius |commanders3= |commanders4= |forces1= * **Army Airborne ***Pathfinders ***SABRE * ** * * **Limited fire support **Team Spatha **Maritime support |forces2= * * |forces3= |forces4= |casual1=Heavy |casual2=*Heavy **All Jiralhanae combatants |casual3= |casual4= |civilian=Moderate }} The Iberian Campaign was a sustained defense operation, and later strategic offensive located across the Iberian Peninsula during the that would cause the total collapse of Covenant operations in Europe and ultimately preventing an larger organized invasion of the continent. At first, the campaign was a total disaster for the UNSC, and by the end of October, more than half of the peninsula was occupied by the Covenant, under the command of Atticus. This forced the UNSC to fortify their positions along the Sistema Central mountains and the northern side of the Ebro river as the majority of UNSC assets in the European theater were redeployed to focus on eliminating the Covenant presence in other regions of the continent. Despite losing half the peninsula, pockets of human resistance remained in the city of Lisbon as well as the strategically important Gibraltar Spaceport. Lisbon would fall to the Covenant on November 9th but would be retaken two days later during the UNSC counteroffensive. Declared under the flagword ALBA on November 10th, the UNSC launched a major push into free-fire zone ANDAL that began with the tactical nuclear bombardment of Covenant staging grounds in the provinces of Beja, Badajoz and Zaragoza. Following the bombardment, Airborne and ODST divisions were deployed to the cities of Madrid, Seville and Valencia encountering minor resistance. By November 16th, the UNSC had managed to recapture everything north of the Guadalquivir river but their offensive began to stall from a high rate of casualties and the influx of more Covenant troops from orbit. predicted that if the Siege of Gibraltar was not lifted soon, the continued reinforcement of Covenant troops on the peninsula would cause the collapse of the UNSC Marine and Army groups in the area, leaving Europe and North Africa open to a massive uncontrollable invasion. Fortunately for the UNSC, the pivotal events that took place at the on November 17th caused mass disarray of the Covenant across Earth. The UNSC took advantage of this and decimated entire Covenant legions within minutes, causing the total collapse of the Covenant war effort in the European Theater. The road to Gibraltar was now open, and the siege of the city was lifted on November 20th, bringing an end to the war in Europe. Order of Battle Timeline October 22 *A detachment of Covenant warships breaks through Orbital Defense Grid M2 and begins bombarding cities and deploying legions across the Iberian peninsula. October 25 *UNSC forces over-extend their lines allowing the Covenant to make major gains, the UNSC withdraws from their positions and establishes defensive lines along the Sistema Central mountain range and the Ebro river. *The Covenant destroys an orbital defense generator near the city of Valencia, orbital defense platforms defending the southern half of the Iberian peninsula and North Africa are disabled. October 26 *Operation: KINGFISHER occurs, SPARTAN Team Spatha deployed for the first time. *Pyrenees ODG successfully defended. October 27 *Free-fire zone ANDAL is established, the Airborne and Air Force still conduct evacuations of population centers in this zone until November 4th. November 3 *Air Force reconnaissance drones discover mass graves of Sangheili in Covenant staging grounds. Several observations of in-fighting among the Covenant are also witnessed. Requests to further investigate are blocked by the Office of Naval Intelligence. November 4 *Evacuations of civilians in Free-fire zone ANDAL are completed. November 6 *Operations in other regions of Europe are completed, UNSC begins mass build up of troops along defensive lines in Iberia. November 9 *The Siege of Lisbon ends with a Covenant victory. Evacuations of civilians and military personnel carried out by the Wet Navy. November 10 *UNSC flagword ALBA declared, tactical nuclear bombardment of Covenant staging grounds is successful. *Airborne and ODST divisions conduct aerial and orbital assaults to recapture major cities and encircle Covenant forces. November 11 *Airborne and Marines recapture the city of Lisbon. November 16 *UNSC forces reach Seville and relieve the 47th and 73rd Airborne Divisions after holding the city for six days. November 17 *The Battle of Voi in East Africa causes disarray and confusion among Covenant forces around Earth, the Covenant's efforts in the European Theater totally collapses following a massive UNSC breakthrough in their lines. *Operation: GOLD GARDEN occurs, Covenant leadership in the region wiped out. November 20 *The Siege of Gibraltar is lifted. The European Theater of the Battle of Earth ends. Category:Commonwealth Events